Sounds a bit off, I know. In reality, several minor tooth movement appliances can double as a final retainer. The prime example would be a patient who you have identified as having minor anterior crowding, (maybe post-orthodontic relapse but not necessarily).  This can easily be fixed with a Spring Hawley Retainer or an Inman Aligner. 

Here’s how it works: You take a set of traditional or digital upper and lower impressions. The lab will use these to do a computerized space analysis which allows them to set the teeth into an ideal position and fabricate an appliance to that correction which will slowly move the teeth and correct the crowding.

The computer analysis will also allow the lab to provide you with a template on where you will need to interproximally recontour the teeth upon delivery of the appliance.   After the teeth are where they should be, the patient can often wear the appliance as a final retainer.

Active Retention Appliances:

•  Inman Aligner

•  Spring Hawley

•  Invisible Retainer (only good for very minor crowded cases)

So, we’ve now enjoyed a quick overview of fixed, removable and active final retention appliances in successive posts. We encourage you to share them with your office staff as a first step toward initiating and/or  integrating a final retention program in your office. 

Next up: How best to begin this program and help identify patients in your practice that would benefit.

For a Free Copy of our Comprehensive Guide to Final Retention, Click Here.